Automatic bobbin doffing apparatus



Oct- 25, 1955 J. F. KING, JR.. ETAL 3,280,545

AUTOMATIC BOBBIN DOFFING APPARATUS 4 Sheets-Sheet l Filed June 30, 1964 i. jiri INVENTORS JAMES F: Kmcnn DONALD A SLQAN BY Wmmf 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORS JAMES F. HINGJ-Q DONALD A. SLQAN J. F. KING, JR., ETAL AUTOMATIC BOBBIN DOFFING APPARATUS Oct. 25, 1966 Filed June so, 1964 ATTORNEYS Oct. 25, 1966 J. F. KING, JR., ETAL 3,280,545

AUTOMATIC BGBBIN DOFFING APPARATUS 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed June 30, 1964 Oct' 25, 1966 J. F. KING, JR., ETAL 3,280,545

AUTOMATIC BOBBIN DOFFING APPARATUS Filed June 30, 1964 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTORS JAMES E K|NCn3`2- DONALD A. SLoAN msm @Hmmm ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,280,545 AUTOMATIC BQBBEN DGFFIN G APPARATUS James F. King, Jr., and Donald A. Sloan, Winston-Salem,

NC., assignors to The Iahnson Company, Winston- Salem, N .C., a corporation of North Carolina Filed .lune 30, 1964, Ser. No. 379,170 Ztl Claims. (Cl. 57-53) The present invention relates in general to doiiing apparatus for dofting full bobbins from a line of spindles on a textile processing machine, and more particularly to bobbin doiing apparatus to be installed on one end of track rails on a textile spinning machine adjacent a line of spindles thereof which pr-oceeds automatically along the line of spindles to the opposite end of the track and successively doffs full bobbins from the spindles without requiring operator attention.

Heretofore, various mechanisms have been devised to automatically doff full bobbins from a line of spindle-s on textile spinning machines, in an effort to relieve the labor costs and machine shut-down time incident to the customary manual bobbin dotiing procedures. One of the problems encountered in devising a commercially .successful automatic doffer has been the imparting of sufficient lift-olf force to the bobbin to reliably break the tight frictional bond which develops between the spindle surface and the interior bore surface of the bobbin due to torsiona-l forces occurring during driving of the bobbin by the spindle. Expedients which have been considered effective for insuring such lift-olf are the provision of a steady strong lifting force from a rigidly mounted plow member or provision of a sudden strong impact force from a pivoted ejector arm abutting the lower butt of the bobbin. The latter expedient provides certain advantages in co-mpactness of design and motive power requirements, but introduces a considerable problem of properly timing actuation of the ejector arm with arrival in properly aligned relation with the bobbin to be doffed as wel-l as complexity of the mechanism for providing a sufficiently strong, lift-oft" force. Frequent-ly, rack teeth or projections aligned selectively with the spindles and located on or adjacent one of the track rails on 4the spinning frame to be engaged by gears, star-wheels, or similar mechanisms and trip the ejector arm have been employed to coordinate actuation of the ejector arm with spindle location. These obviously require high precision customized mechanisms .for the spinning frame and doifer and do not insure Athe desired degree of reliability. Further, special provision mu-st be made to insure holding of the thread until an empty replacement bobbin in fitted on a doffed spindle when warp bobbins are being doifed or in connection with any machine having a dong procedure wherein no doffer turns are wound lon the spindles below the bobbins preparatory to dofling.

An object of the present invention is the provision of novel bobbin dofng apparatus whose operation is controlled by the location of the bobbins on the line of spindles so that variations in spindle spacing can be readily accommodated.

Another object of the present invention is the provision of novel automatic doffing apparatus adapted to track along track rails on a textile processing machine alongside a line of spindles and doff fu-ll bobbins therefrom, in which an ejector arm responds to direct physical engagement with each bobbin to imitate an operating cycle wherein the ejector arm imparts a substantially uniform upward propelling force to the bobbins to throw them upwardly off of the spindles;

Another object of the present invention is the provision of novel automatic bobbin doiiing apparatus of the type described in the preceding paragraph, wherein the ejector arm is moved laterally responsive to direct engagement with the base portions of the successive bobbins to eifect loading and sudden relea-se of spring means coupled to the ejector arm to drive it rapidly upwardly with suiiicient force to break the friction bond between the bobbins and their spindles and throw the bobbins off of the spindles.

Another object of the present invention is the .provision of novel bobbin doing apparat-us of compact design suitable to be mounted alongside separate bobbin donning apparatus on a transport carriage for convenient transport between spinning frames in a textile spinning room.

Another object of the present invention is the provision of novel bobbin doing apparatus which can be readily mounted on the spinning frames by use of conventional rectilinear track rails without requiring special modifications to coordinate dofer timing with spindle location.

Another object of the present invention is the provision of novel bobbin doiiing apparatus having thread holding means for use with warp bobbins or machines wherein doiiing turns are not wound on the spindles preparatory to dofling.

Other objects, advantages, and capabilities of the present invention will become apparent from the following detail description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings illustrating two preferred embodiments of the invention.

In the drawings:

FIGURE l is a Ifront elevation view of automatic bobbin doiiing apparatus embodying the present invention, illustrated on a wheeled carriage frame;

FIGURE 2 i-s an enlarged side elevation view thereof to enlarged scale with part of the housing broken away, taken along the line 2 2 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a enlarged vertical section View taken along the line' 3 3 of FIGURE l;

FIGURE 4 is a horizontal section View showing details of the ejector arm and supporting structure therefor, taken along the line 4 4 of FIGURE 3;

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary rear elevation view of the ejector arm supporting structure, taken along the line 5 5 of FIGURE 3; y

FIGURE 6 is a section view showing details of the thread cutter mechanism, taken along the line 6 6 of FIGURE 3.

Referring to the drawings, wherein like reference characters designate the corresponding parts throughout the several figures, the automatic bobbin doiier mechanism of the present invention, designated generally by the reference character 10, is a compact unit occupying relatively small space adapted to be mounted on a generally vertically extending mounting plate 11 in the upper region thereof, preferably supported on .a wheeled transport carriage 12 for convenient transportation of the doifer 4mechanism between the spinning frames in a textile spin'- ning room. The transport carriage 12 and mounting plate 11 are preferably of the construction disclosed more completely in our patent application led concurrently herewith entitled Transporting Carriage for A-utomatic DoiiingV Apparatus and the Like, wherein the mounting plate 11 has a pair of upper track wheels 13 and a single lower track wheel 14 projecting from the surface of the mounting plate 11 toward the spinning frame to be doifed, the mounting plate 11 being adapted to assume a substantially -vertical plane upon tting 0f the upper track wheels 13, which are preferably peripherally grooved, on an upper horizontal track rail 15 and by lateral engagement of the lower trackwheel 14 with the lateral surface of a lower horizontal track rail 16. The track rails 15, 16 would be fixed on the side of the textile spinning frame adjacent a line of spindles thereon and arranged in appropriate positions to dispose the mounting plate in a substantially vertical plane. When the track wheels 13, 14 are properly positioned on the rails 15, 16, adjacent one end of the line of spindles, the bobbin doffer and associated carriage are self-propelled along the length of the rail-s and line of spindles, for example by an electric motor 17, and gear reduction unit if desired,v

mounted on the rear side of the mounting plate 11, coupled to at least one of the upper tra-ck wheels 13 for example by a drive chain or belt 18.

In practice, it is preferred that the mounting plate 11 be sized to also carry an automatic donner unit, indicated diagrammatically at 19, alongside the doffer mechanism 10, in trailing relation thereto relative to the direction of tracking movement along the line of spindles, to automatically place empty bobbins on `the spindles from which full bobbins have just been'dofletd.

The doffer mechanism is supported in a housing frame formed of a pair of rigid side frame members 21, 21 disposed inparallel vertical planes spaced slightly from each other and extending per'pendicularly from the rear surface of the mounting plate 11. Between the side frame members 21, 21 is a rigid elongated ejector or lifter arm 22 having a flanged con-cavely curved outer face 23 adapted to engage the adjacent side and bottom portions of the butt 24 of a fill bobbin 25 disposed on each of the spindles along the line ofspindles of the spinning machine, one of which is indicated at26 in FIGURE 3. The inner end of the ejector arm 22 remote from the spindle positions is pivoted on a horizontal transverse pivot shaft 27 journaled on a mounting plate 28 pivoted for movement abou-t a vertical axis on axially aligned upper and lower vertical pivot shafts 29, 30 extending from the top and bottom thereof. The lower vertical p-ivot shaft 30 extends through and is journalled in a vertically extending yoke member 31 having the depending legs thereof journalled on a transverse bearing shaft 32, mounted in the side fra-me members 21, 21. Vertical lifting movement o-f the ejector arm 22 is effected by means of a cable 33 anchored to the ejector arm near the outer working end thereof and extending upwardly over a pulley 34 disposed on a pulley shaft mounted on the side frame members 21, 21. The cable 33 then extends downwardly at the back of the pulley 34 through an end bushing 35, which is freely slidable on the cable, into a vertically reciprocative cylindrical shell 36 and terminates in a flanged end member 37 withinl the shell 36 having a shoulder formation 38 spaced upwardly from the lower end thereof. A

coil spring 39 is disposed within -the shell 36 between a flange of the end bushing and the flange of the end member 37, the upper end of the shell 36 being flared inwardly to form an upper limit stop for the end bushing 3S confining the same within 'the .shell 36, and the lower end of the shell 36 being connected by pin 40 to the plunger 41a of solenoid 41.

The solenoid 41 is a-ctuated by a suitable stationary switch 42, preferably of the snap-action type whose location is subsequently described. The solenoid 41 is normally in a deenergized state, wherein its plunger 41a is projected to the position illustrated in FIGURES 2 and 3 limited by a suitable stop member 43, wherein the outer working end of the ejector arm 22 is disposed at an appropriate level to engage a lower side portion, and project slightly under, the bobbin butts 24. Also pivotally supported on the horizontal transverse pivot shaft 27 for the ejector arm 22 is a magnet supporting bracket 44 ofk generally bell-crank configuration in lateral profile, having an outwardly projecting arm 44a extending substantially parallel to the ejector .arm 22 in the normal position of the latter and supporting at the outer end thereof a hold-down magnet 45 located immediately below the ejector; arm 22. The hold-down magnet is restrained in the vertical position illustrated in FIGURES 2 and 3 by a strap member 46 connected at one end to an anchor .formation on the bracket 44 adjacent the magnet and at its other end to the mounting plate 11 or other suitable portion of the dofler frame. The bracket 44 also includes depending transverselyspaced arms 44b, to the lower ends of which centering coil springs 47 are coupled, the opposite ends of the coil springs 47 being suitably anchored to the doer frame to continuously urge the associated magnet supporting bracket 44 and ejector arm 22 to a centered posi-tion about the vertical axis defined by pivot shafts 29, 30 locating the outer portions of the ejector arm 22 substantially midway between the s-ide frame member 21, 21'. most end portion of the bracket arm 44a is provided with a rearwardly projecting switch actuating flange 44a disposed laterally of the side frame member 22 in a trailing direction relative to the direction of tracking movement of the dofting unit. The flange 44a is designed to actuate the snap action switch 42 controlling solenoid 41 and fixed to the frame member 22 adjacent the flange 44a', when the ejector arm 22 is displaced in a trailing direction about the vertical axis through shafts 29, 30. An ejector return spring 48 connected between portions of the magnet supporting bracket 44 and ejector arm 22 spaced outwardly from the pivot shaft 27 therefor biases the ejector arm 22 downwardly into abutment with the upperA surface of the magnet 45 when the ejector arm has been lifted from the magnet by the cable 33.

A fixed elastic stop 49 ismounted on the doffer frame at a position above the ejector arm 22 to limit the upward travel of the ejector arm and absorb its kinetic energy.

A receiving chamber 50 is provided in the upper region of the doffer between the side frame .members 21, 21

and comprises a fron-t wall 51, an inclined bottom wall 52 and a pair of sidewalls 53 rigidly secured together, and pivotally hung from a transverse horizontal pivot shaft 54 disposed adjacent the uppermost endsof the side frame members 21, 21. The receiving chamber 50 has a bobbin receiving opening 55 therein normally closed by a pair of .gates 56, preferably formed of nylon, hinged to the opposite lateral edges of the opening 55 and biased to a closed position determined by stop shoulder 57 by springmeans such as torsi-on spring means 58. An anchor 59 is disposed immediately below and carried by the bottom wall 52 of receiving chamber 50 to which one end ofva flexible linkage member 60 is fixed, the other end being connected to the upper end portion of the upper vertical pivot shaft 29 and provide a lost motion connection therebetween. The receiving chamber-50 is resiliently biased by spring 61 connected between the bottom 52y and a stationary spring anchor to an outwardly or forwardly projected` position, illustrated in FIGURES 2 and 3, wherein the lbobbin receiving opening 55 and gates 56 vertically overlie the bobbin and spindlefwhen the dofiing mechanism is laterally aligned therewith.

The receiving chamber 50 is selectively retractable f about the .pivot shaft 54 to a position aligning the front wall 51 thereof with the vertical frontedges of the Side frame member 21, 211by means of a solenoid 62 fixed to one of the side frame members near the upper end thereof and having a reciprocative plunger 62a coupled by a pin and slot connection with one or both of the side walls 53 of receiving chamber 50.' The solenoid 62 is controlled by a suitable switch, not shown, mounted on the doffer at a position to be engaged and actuated by the end framework of the spinning frame, which usually projects into the path which would be traversed by the front portion of the receiving chamber in the outwardly projected position ofl FIGURES 2 and 3, to energize the solenoid 62 and withdraw the receiving chamber 50 to its retracted position. connection of linkage 60 with upperv vertical pivot shaft 29 also swings the yoke member 31 and mounting plate 28 rearwardly about the bearing shaft 32, thereby retracting somewhat the ejector arm 22 and associated mag- Tl'ie f outerl This action, through thek net supporting brack t 44 and magnet 45. The bend in the linkage 69 provides for some lost-motion between the movement of the receivinU chamber 5t) and shaft 29 to allow for the larger stroke required for retrac-tion of the receiving chamber 50.

In the operation of the above-described mechanism to dott ll bobbins from the spindles of the spinning frame, the mounting plate lll is coupled on the track rails 15, 16 of the spinning frame in the manner previously described and the manual control switch, fixed for example on one of the side frame members 2i, 21 as indicated at 53 in FIGURE 1, is actuated to energize the motor 17 and effect self-propelled movement of the dofling apparatus in the preselected direction of travel, for example to the right as viewed in FIGURE 1. As the dofling apparatus reaches a position alongside the first bobbin 25, the flanged face 23 on the end of the ejector arm 22 engages the bobbin butt 24 in a manner so that the bobbin butt intervals with the path of travel ofthe apparatus. The force exerted on the outer working end lof the ejector unit 22 by the bobbin butt 24 as the apparatus travels alongside the spinning frame rotates the ejector arm 22 slightly about the vertical axis through pivot shafts 29, 33 until the switch actuating flange 44a depresses the plunger of the normally open switch 42, whereupon the solenoid 41 is energized. Energization of the solenoid 41 effects retraction of its plunger 41a, imparting downward movement to the shell 36 surrounding the spring 39. During initial downward movement of the solenoid plunger 41a and shell 36, the end bushing 35 carried with the upper end of the shell 35 slides downwardly along the cable 32 progressively compressing the spring 3?* between the tlange of the end bushing 35 and the ange of the end member 37. However, during this initial phase of plunger and shell movement, the ejector arm 22 is restrained in its downward position by the hold-down magnet 45, thereby holding the cable 32 and the cable end member 37 against movement and effecting compression of the spring 39 due to the progressively decreasing distance between the upper end of shell 36 and the end member 37. However, when the end bushing 35 reaches the Shoulder formation 38 on the cable end member 37, the remaining pulling force of the solenoid di is imparted directly to the cable 32 through the shell 36 and end bushing 35. The shock load of the direct application of force from the solenoid plunger to the cable 32 then occurring and the inertia load built up in the moving parts overcomes the holding capacity of the magnet 45 and, upon initial separation of the ejector arm 22 from contact with the magnet 45', the energy stored in the spring 39 is applied to the ejector arm 22 and bobbin butt 24 substantially instantaneously, effecting such rapid upward propelling force on the bobbin as to throw the bobbin in a free flight or ballistic manner through the opening 55 in the receiving chamber 50. The return force of the torsion springs 58 biasing the hinged gates 55 to closed position is such that the propulsive force of the bobbin readily opens the gates to allow passage of the bobbin therethrough. The bobbin is stopped in its upward flight by the resilient bumper pad 64 located at the top of the chamber 5G, whereupon the bobbin falls downwardly and is detiected by the now closed gates 56 and slides down the inclined surface formed by the bottom wall 52 of the chamber 50i. The bobbin exits from the rear of the apparatus and is deflected downwardly by a suitable deflecting hood 65 into a storage container, which may, for example, be in the form of an upwardly opening box or receptacle removably supported `on a lower portion of the carriage 12.

It will be apparent that as soon as the bobbin is elevated from its spindle into a flight condition by the ejector arm 22, the side load on the ejector arm is relieved, thus relieving the pressure holding the snap action switch 42 in closed position and permitting return of the switch 42, for example by its internal return spring, to open position de-energizing the solenoid 4l. The springs i7 then effect return rotation of the magnet supporting bracket 44 and ejector arm 22 about the vertical axis through shafts 29, 3Q to the centered position, while return spring 4S thereupon returns the ejector arm 22 to its normal lower position.

By this arrangement, the operation of the mechanism to energize the solenoid 41 and thereupon successively compress the spring 39 and then release the stored energy in the spring through the cable 33 to the ejector arm 22 is effected responsive to direct engagement of the anged face 23 of the ejector arm 22 with each bobbin butt 24 so that the coordination of timing of these cycle phases with proper location of the bobbins is assured since the cycle is initiated responsive to direct contact of the ejector arm V22 with the bobbin butt. Further the preloading or compression of the spring 39 achieved prior to application of direct pulling force from the solenoid plunger 41a to the cable through abutment of the bushing 35 with the shoulder formation 3S insures that sutl'icient force is stored in the spring to disrupt any friction bond Iwhich may exist between the spindle and the adjacent internal bore surface of the bobbin, and elect suiicient upward propulsion of the bobbin to insure its passage through the receiving chamber opening 55.

It will be observed from FIGURES l-3 and 6 that a thread guide 66 is mounted on the receiving chamber 50 near the portion thereof nearest the spinning frame. This thread guide 66 is a smooth tubular member designed to guide the thread that extends from the raised lappets of the spinning frame to the ring travelers under the bobbins. Without this thread guide, the trailing thread may hang on some of the hinge mechanisms for the gates 56 or other associated parts with consequent breakage of the thread, so that manual piecing up would be required when the spinning frame is restarted.

When the above-described mechanism is used to dofl till bobbins or in conjunction with textile processing machines wherein doing turns of the thread or roving are formed on the spindles below the bobbins aspart of the machine shut-down procedure preparatory to dolng, the thread extending from the raised lappet above each spindie and through the ring traveler is anchored to the spindle by the dofling turns so that thread breakage is produced between the doing turns and the bobbin as the bobbin is tossed upwardly oft of the spindle. This insures that breakage will not occur in portions of the thread that would leave a loose thread end extending from the ring traveler which could pull through the rin-g traveler and require manual piecing up when the spinning frame is restarted after the doit and don cycle. However, complications are introduced when using such apparatus to doti warp bobbins or with machines that do not provide for such dofiing turns, as there are no anchoring turns on the spindle and the loose thread end extending from the ring traveler when the thread breaks during bobbin ejection will not start winding on the replacement bobbin upon restarting of the spinning frame.

Accordingly, to provide for reliable thread control in such installations, the doimg unit may be provided with a thread cutting mechanism to sever the thread at a selected location during bobbin dong and means to hold the thread end until an empty bobbin replacement has been donned on each dotted spindle. To provide these functions, the center of the rear edge of the-bobbin entrance opening 55 adjacent the free ends of the gates 56 is notched as indicated at 69, and a thread cutter 70 is located immediately under the bottom wall 52 of the receiving chamber 50, comprising a stationary cutting blade or stator 71 fixed to a suitable mounting bracket 72 secured to the side frame members 21, 21 and having a convergent working end terminating in a V-notch 73 substantially aligned with the notch 69. Both edges of the V-notch '73 are sharpened shearing edges. An oscillating cutter blade 74 has a convergent tip defining sharpened shearing edges and is pivoted at 75 to the proper location at the side of the spinning frame.

stator blade 71 so that its shearing edges move beneath the stator blade notch 73. A connecting rod 76 extends from an oscillator pin 77 on the oscillating blade 74 to a crank pin 78 of the crank disk 79 on the shaft of an electric motor 80 fixed to one of the side frame members 21, 21. The lower oscillating cutter blade 74 is continuously urged against the stator blade 71 yby a spring 81 bearing on a bracket 81' iixed to the frame members.

Immediately below the cutting ymechanism 70 is a horizontal tubular air handling manifold 82 having a forwardly opening narrow orice 83 therein. The manifold 82 andoriiice 83 include an upper horizontal leg substantially spanning the distance between the side'frame members 21, 21' having an enlarged portion of the orice 83 at the center thereof, and a vertical depending leg extending downwardly along the frame member 21 to the vicinity of the base of the spindles when the doiier is in A suction pipe 84 extends downward to a convenient Alocation, for example behind the mounting plate 11, and is connected to a suction blower 85 or other suitable suction source.

In the operation of the thread cutting and holding mechanism when doliing warp bobbins or bobbins presenting similar problems, the bobbin thread trails from the bobbin down to the ring traveler in several loose turns about the spindle as the bobbin is thrown upwardly by ejector arm 22 through the hinged gates 56. The spring loaded gates 56, of course, swing open responsive to the impact force of the bobbin and immediately return to their closed horizontal position as soon as the bobbin completely travels through the opening 55 toward the pad 64. The closing of the gates 56 while the bobbin is up in the re-ceiving chamber 50 catches the thread trailing the warp bobbin butt and moves it into the narrow slot formed between the free edges of the gates 56. As the bobbin then falls back onto the closed gates 56 or onto bottom wall 52, the trailing thread drags down the slot between the gates and into the slots 69, 73 of the bottom wall 52 and cutter stator 71, where the thread is cut by the shearing coaction of the oscillating cutter blade 74 and the edges of the V-notch 73 in stator blade 71. When the cutter snips the trailing thread, the loose end of the thread which runs up from the ring traveler is caught in orifice 83 by the suction stream of air, and due to the forward movement of the doffer, the thread is pulled along orifice 83 and can extend in retained condition all the way to the bottom of the orifice. In this way, the loose thread end is held by the manifold suction until an empty replacement bobbin can be installed on the spindle vacated by the doifed bobbin. The replacement empty bobbin jambs between the bobbin and spindle the loose thread turns wrapped-around the spindle and extending between the ring traveler and the manifold, thereby anchoring the thread end so that proper winding on the spindle occurs when the spinning frame is restarted.

While but two preferred examples of the present invention have been particularly shown and described, it is apparent that various modifications may be made therein within the spirit and scope of the invention, and it is desired, therefore, that only such limitations be placed on the invention as are imposed by the prior art and set forth in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. Apparatus for doiiing bobbins from a row of upright spindles on a machine comprising dofling means including a lifter arm movable along the row of spindles into a position engaging each individual bobbin, means supporting said lifter arm for movement relative to the doifer means in a first direction responsive to engagement with the individual spindlesand in a second direction effective to lift the bobbins from their spindles,v

lifter arm driving means for moving the lifter arm rapidly in said second direction froma selected bobbin engaging position for ejecting the bobbinfrom the spindle, and means responsive t-o movement of said lifter arm in said first direction to actuate said driving means for driving the lifter arm in said second direction and eject the engaged bobbin from its associated spindle.

Z. Apparatus for doing bobbins from a row of upright spindles on a machine comprising doiiing means includinga lifter arm movable along the row of spindles into a position engaging each individual bobbin, means supporting said lifter arm for movement relative to the dolfer means in a irst direction responsive to engagement with the individual spindles and in a second direction effective to lift the bobbins from their spindles, spring means for driving said lifter arm in said second direction, means for loading said spring means to establish a potential bobbin ejecting force, and means responsive to movement of said lifter arm in said iirst directionk through a selected distance to release potential force from said spring means to said lifter arm for driving the lifter arm in said second direction and eject the engaged bobbin from its associated spindle.

3. Apparatus for doiiing bobbins from a row of upright spindles on a machine comprising doffing means including a lifter arm movable along the row of spindles into a position engaging each individual bobbin, means supporting said lifter arm for movement relative to the doffer means in a iirst direction responsive to engagement with the individual spindles and in a second direction effective to lift the bobbins from their spindles, spring means for driving said lifter arm in said second direction, means for loading said spring means to establish a -potential bobbin ejecting force, a hold-down magnet for restraining said lifter arm against movement in said second direction during loading of said spring means, and means responsive to movement of said lifter arm in said first direction through a selected distance to release potential force from said spring means to said lifter arm for driving the lifter arm in said second direction and eject the engaged bobbin from its associated spindle.

4. Apparatus for doiiing bobbins from upright spindles on spinning frames and the like comprising a doiiing unit arranged to move longitudinally along a line of full bobbins on the spinning frame, said doiiing unit including an ejector member having a portion adapted to directly erigage the bobbins in succession for lifting them from their respective spindles, means supporting said ejector member for displacement in a selected direction responsive to direct physical engagement with each successive -bobbin as the doiiing unit moves along said line ofl bobbins, means for moving the ejector member rapidly from a lower, bobbin engaging position to a raised position for ejecting the bobbin from the spindle, and means responsive to displacement of said ejector member in said selected direction to render said last-named means operative to eject the bobbin engaged by the ejector member from its associated spindle.

5. Apparatus for doiiing bobbins from a row of upright spindles on a textile machine comprising doiiing means arranged to move longitudinally along said row of spindles, said dofiing means including an ejector arm having ari outer end normally positionedto engage lateral and bottom portions of the lower end of each bobbin, spring means for urging said ejector arm to a raised position, magnetmeans releasably holding said ejector arm in said normal position against force exerted by the spring means, said ejector arm being movable laterally by engagement of said outer end with each bobbin, and means respon sive to each lateral movement of the lifter arm for releasing said lifter arm to be driven by the spring means whereby said ejector element moves rapidly upward to eject the bobbin from the spindle.

6. Apparatus for doirig bobbins from upright spindles,

on spinning frames and the like comprising a doiiing unit arranged to move longitudinally along a line of full bobbins on the spinning frame, said doiiing unit including an elongated lifter arm having an cuter end engageable with each individual bobbin and an inner pivot portion pivotally mounted for movement in a vertical plane about a horizontal pivot axis, means supporting said lifter arm adjacent said pivot portion for movement about a vertical pivot axis to permit lateral movement of the lifter arm relative to the doing `unit responsive to direct physical engagement of said outer end with each successive bobbin as the doliing unit moves along said line of bobbins, means for driving said lifter arm rapidly about said horizontal pivot axis from a lower bobbing engaging position to a raised position for ejecting a bobbin engaged by said outer end from its associated spindle, and means responsive to lateral movement of said lifter arm about said vertical pivot axis when said outer end engages a bobbin during relative doiing unit movement to render said lastnamed means operative to drive the lifter arm upwardly and eject the bobbin engaged thereby from its spindle.

7. Apparatus for doing bobbins from upright spindles on spinning frames and the like comprising a dofng unit arranged to move longitudinally along a line of full bobbins on the spinning frame, said doing unit inclu-ding an elongated lifter arm having an outer end engageable with each individual bobbin and an inner pivot portion pivotally mounted for movement in a vertical plane about a horizontal pivot axis, means supporting said lifter arm adjacent said pivot portion for movement about a vertical pivot axis to permit lateral movement of the lifter arm relative to the doing unit responsive to direct physical engagement of said outer end with each successive bobbin as the doffing unit moves along said line of bobbins, spring means coupled to said lifter arm for driving the same rapidly upwardly from a lower bobbin engaging position with sufficient force to toss the bobbin upwardly off of its associated spindle, means for loading said spring means to store energy therein, and means responsive toy lateral movement of said lifter arm about said vertical pivot axis through a selected distance when said outer end engages a bobbin during relative movement of the doting unit to apply the stored energy in said spring means to said lifter arm to drive the lifter arm upwardly and toss the bobbin engaged thereby from its spindle.

S. Apparatus for doing bobbins from upright spindles on spinning frames and the like comprising a doiiing unit arranged to move longitudinally along a line of full bobbins on the spinning frame, said doiug unit including an elongated lifter arm having'an outer end engageable with each individual bobbin and an inner pivot portion pivotally mounted for movement in a vertical plane about a horizontal pivot axis, means supporting said lifter arm adjacent said pivot portion for movement about a vertical pivot axis to permit lateral movement of the lifter arm relative to the dotdng unit responsive to direct physical engagement of said outer end with each successive bobbin as the doiiing unit moves along said line of bobbins, spring means coupled to said lifter arm, and actuating means responsive to lateral` movement of said lifter arm about said vertical pivot axis through a selected distance for successively loading said spring means to establish a potential bobbin ejecting force and releasing the established force to drive the lifter arm upwardly from a lower bobbin-engaging position and thereby eject the bobbin engaged by said outer end from its spindle.

9. Apparatus for dofiing bobbins as defined in claim 8, wherein said actuating means comprises an electrical solenoid having a reciprocative plunger coupled to said spring means, means for loading said spring means to establish said ejecting force during an initial portion of the stroke of said plunger in one direction and then applying said force from said spring means to said lifter arm during the remainder of said stroke, and electrical switch means on said doiiing unit actuated responsive to said lateral movement of said lifter arm for energizing said solenoid to move said plunger through said stroke.

lil. Apparatus for doiing bobbins as dened in claim 8, wherein said actuating means comprises an electrical solenoid having a reciprocative plunger coupled to said spring means, means for loading said spring means to establish said ejecting force during an initial portion of the stroke of said plunger in one direction and then applying said force from said spring means to said lifter arm during the remainder or" said stroke, electrical switch means on said doiiing unit actuated responsive to said lateral movement of said lifter arm for energizing said solenoid to move said plunger through said stroke, and a hold-down magnet adjacent said lifter arm for magnetically attracting said lifter arm at said lower position to restrain said lifter arm against upward movement during loading of said spring means.

11. Apparatus for dong bobbins as defined in claim 8, wherein said spring means comprises a coil spring, a cable extending from said lifter arm through said coil spring and terminating in a cable shoulder member bearing against one end of said coil spring and a loose iitting bushing slidable on the cable bearing against the other end of said spring, said actuating means including a shell loosely encasing said coil spring having shoulder means bearing against said bushing and a solenoid having a plunger coupled to said shell, said solenoid being operative responsive to said lateral movement of said lifter arm to move said shell axially to draw said bushing through a selected spring loading range toward said cable shoulder member to compress said coil spring therebetween until the bushing engages a porton of said shoulder member and then concurrently draw the bushing and shoulder member through a further range, and magnet means for holding said lifter arm against lifting movement during movement of said bushing through said spring loading range, the holding force of said magnet means being overcome by said solenoid when said bushing engages said cable shoulder member to permit release of said coil spring and application of the return force thereof to said lifter arm to rapidly eject the bobbin.

12. Apparatus for doing bobbins from a row of upright spindles on a machine comprising doing means including an elongated lifter arm pivoted for movement about a horizontal pivot axis and having an outer end engageable with each individual bobbin, spring means coupled to said lifter arm for rapidly driving the same upwardly from a lower bobbin engaging position, said spring means comprising a coil spring, a cable extending from said lifter arm through said coil spring and terminating in a cable shoulder member bearing against one end of said coil spring and a loose fitting bushing slidable on the cable bearing against the other end of said spring, a shell loosely encasing said coil spring having shoulder means bearing against said bushing and a solenoid having a plunger coupled to said shell, said solenoid being operative to move said shell axially to draw said bushing through a selected spring loading range toward said cable shoulder member to compress said coil spring therebetween until the bushing engages a portion of said shoulder member and then concurrently draw the bushing and shoulder member through a further range, and

magnet means for holding said lifter arm against lifting movement during movement of said bushing through said spring loading range, the holding force of said magnet means being overcome by said solenoid when said bushing engages said cable shoulder member to permit release of said coil spring and application of the return force thereof to said lifter arm to rapidly eject the bobbin.

13. Apparatus for dofing bobbins from upright spindles on spinning frames and the like comprising a doing unit arranged to move longitudinally along a line of full bobbins on the spinning frame, said dong unit including an elongated lifter arm having an outer end normally projecting to a position to engage lower end portions of each bobbin during movement of the doiier unit along said line of bobbins, means supporting said lifter arm for movement abou-t a horizontal pivot axis, means for Vproducing a signal upon engagement of said lifter arm with a bobbin, means responsive to said signal for rapidly driving said lifter arm rapidly upwardly about said pivot axis from a lower bobbin engaging position to throw the bobbin engaged thereby upwardly from its spindle when said lifter arm is selectively aligned with each bobbin, and

` a bobbin receiving chamber supported in said doing unit above said lifter arm having a bobbin entrance opening positi-oned in the path of movement of the bobbins thrown upwardly by said lifter armthrough which the bobbin enters sai-d chamber, hinged gate members covering said .opening to be opened responsive to impact of a thrown bobbin therewith for admitting the bobbin to said chamber, and spring means for returning said gates to closed position immediately following passage of a bobbin upwardly therethrough to prevent downward ymovement of the b-obbin through said opening.

14. Apparatus for dofng bobbins from upright spindles on spinning frames and the like comprising a doing unit arranged tomove longitudinally along a line of full bobbins on the spin-ning frame, said dofng unit including an elongated lifter arm hav-ing an outer end normally projecting to a position to engage lower end portions of each bobbin during movement of the doffer uni-t along said line of bobbi-ns, means supporting said lifter arm for movement about a horizontal pivot axis, means for pro# ducing a signal upon engagement of said lifter arm with a bobbin, means responsive to said signal for rapidly driving said lifter arm rapidly upwardly about said pivot axis from a lower bobbin engaging position to throw the i position immediately following passage of a bobbin upwardly therethrough to prevent downward movement of the bobbin .through said opening, said chamber having a lower wall bounding said opening dening a-n inclined bobbin guide surface declining away from the spinning frame for guiding bobbins admitted to the chamber to a selected discharge zone.

15. Apparatus for doing bobbins as defined in claim 13 wherein said doing unit includes carriage means adapted to track on track railsalong a side of the spring frame adjacent the line of bobbins, rigid frame members, meanssupporting said chamber for movement from a projected position disposing said opening and adjacent portions of said chamber vertically above a bobbin to be doffed when said lifter arm engages the bobbin to a retracted position spaced laterally of the line of bobbins sufcient to clear end portions of the spinning frame, and means connecting said chamber with said lifter arm for withdrawing the lifter arm from inter-cepting rela-tion with the bobbins and end portions of the spinning frame when said chamber is withdrawn to said retracted position.

16. Apparatus for doing bobbins as dened in claim 1S, wherein said chamber is suspended from said frame members for movement about a horizontal pivot axis from said projected position to said retracted position, solenoid means having a reciprocative plunger coupled to said chamber for moving the chamber between said projected and retracted positions, and means supporting said lifter arm supporting means for movement .abouty a horizontal pivot axis spaced below the lifter arm and coupled by linkagey means with said chambe-r for withdrawing said Ilifter arm away from the line of bobbins upon movement of said chamber to retracted position.

17. Apparatus for doing bobbins as defined in claim i 13, wherein said dofling unit includes thread cutter means disposed to cut threads trail-ing below bobbins thrown through said opening, and thread ,holding means for holding the lower end of the thread cut by saidcutter means for a selected dista-nce 4of travel of the doffer unit after dofling of each bobbin.

18. Apparatus for dong bobbins as dene-d in claim 13, wherein said dof-ng unit includes thread cutter means disposed immediately below said chamber having driven shearing blade means adjacent said bobbin entrance opening in the path of trailing threads from bobbins thrown into said chamber to cut said trailing threads, and thread holding means for holding the lower end of the thread cut by said cutter means for a selected distance ofttravel of the doffer unit after dong of each bobbin.

19. Apparatus for dofng bobbins as defined in claim 13, wherein said doing unit includes thread cutter means disposed immediately below said chamber having driven shearing blade means adjacent said bobbin entrance opening in the path of trailing threads from bobbins thrown into said chamber to cut said trailing threads, and pneumati-c suction thread holding means adjacent said cutting means for holding the lower cut end of each trailing thread cut byrsaid cutting means for a selected period after cutting thereof.

20. Apparatus for dofng bobbins as rdefined in claim 19, wherein said thread holding means comprises a suction tube having a horizontal leg immediately below said cutter -mea-ns and .a depending leg extending from said horizontal leg along the trailing side of the dofling unit relative to its direction of travel along said line of bobbins, f

said suction tube legs having a connecting elongated on'- iice for holding the cut thread end by suction pressure while permitting sliding movement of the thread along said legs.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,070,949y 1/1963 Du Buis et al. 57-53 3,088,266 5/1963 Bahns-on et al. 57-53 3,116,587 1/1964 Du Buis et al 57-53 3,148,495 9/ 1964 King et al. 242--41 X FRANK J. COHEN, Primary Examiner. 

1. APPARATUS FOR DOFFING BOBBINS FROM A ROW OF UPRIGHT SPINDLES ON A MACHINE COMPRISING DOFFING MEANS INCLUDING A LIFTER ARM MOVABLE ALONG THE ROW OF SPINDLES INTO A POSITION ENGAGING EACH INDIVIDUAL BOBBIN, MEANS SUPPORTING SAID LIFTER ARM FOR MOVEMENT RELATIVE TO THE DOFFER MEANS IN A FRIST DIRECTION RESPONSIVE TO ENGAGEMENT WITH THE INDIVIDUAL SPINDLES AND IN A SECOND DIRECTION EFFECTIVE TO LIFT THE BOBBIN FROM THEIR SPINDLES LIFTER ARM DRIVING MEANS FOR MOVING THE LIFTER ARM RAPIDLY IN SAID SECOND DIRECTION FROM A SELECTED BOBBIN ENGAGING POSITION FOR EJECTING THE BOBBIN FROM THE SPINDLE, AND MEANS RESPONSIVE TO MOVEMENT OF SAID LIFTER ARM IN SAID FIRST DIRECTION TO ACTUATE SAID DRIVING MEANS FOR DRIVING THE LIFTER ARM IN SAID SECOND DIRECTION AND EJECT THE ENGAGED BOBBIN FROM ITS ASSOCIATED SPINDLE. 